Help with newborn sleeping arrangements!!

I’m trying to figure out how/where to arrange the pack n play (or if we need to buy something else) for our baby (due date is today… no sign of baby yet.. ugh). I’m finding it awkward no matter where I put it currently because of my big preggo belly, and the fact that our bed is super high (I currently use a step stool to get in and out… the top of the mattress is like 44 inches off the ground). So I was wondering if you lovely ladies could explain and/or post a picture of your sleeping arrangements for your newborn?

Or just tips on what worked and what didn’t, things you recommend/don’t recommend. Anything would be helpful for this first time mom!

This is a good question – I can’t offer help since I’m trying to figure this out myself, but I wanted to post to follow and let you know you aren’t the only one 🙂 We also have a really high mattress, so I’ve been wondering how that would work with placing the PnP next to the bed.

My baby is 5 months old ans she has been sleeping in a pack and play ever since we brought her home. We bought a lite pack and play, its smaller then a normal one which works great bc we do not have much room with a king size bed. We got a better matress for it and she sleeps fine. Since it is smaller you can use jersey king size pillow covers as sheets.

wandering_gypsy: We actually put our box spring on the floor and DD slept in a bassinet beside the bed until she moved to her own crib and room at 5 months.

I live high mattresses, they just look and feel more luxurious but have kept our bed low ever since to help accommodate our little dog who sleeps with us.

I am expecting #2 in April and we are moving into our new house in December and we will be putting our box spring right on the floor again, at least for a few more years. DD never actually sleeps with us except for occasionally at the cottage or in hotels but it is cozy to all snuggle up in the “nest” with lots of pillows and no fear of anyone falling and hurting themselves.

Congrats and good luck, this is such a fun and exciting time for you!!

We just wedged a bassinet between the bed and the wall… but… I really like PP’s photo with the sidecar crib idea. We do have a crib like this but it’s being stored at FIL’s place because we don’t have much room in our bedroom for it (and want to co-sleep for a few months at least) but, we were visualizing it at in front of our bed… I think it might actually fit if it were beside like that.

MaggieF: we did take the boxsprings out for a few months but the bed was then super low and unstable even though we put wood down on the bed frame, so that wasn’t best and not using our bedframe isn’t an option (we paid too much money to not use it lol)…

allyfally: I would love to get an arms reach co-sleeper but our bed is so high that even with the leg extenders I don’t think the mattress would be low enough. But that looks way more convenient that a bassinet attachment for a pack n play.

vhenke1: My husband and I are relatively heavy sleepers (and we move a lot in our sleep) so I’m not comfortable having the baby sleep in the bed with us, but definitely want the baby close by for this reason 🙂

chasesgirl: The pack n play is actually a good height for our tall bed, so that’s not the issue… It’s my ability to move around/pick up the baby, but maybe that will change once I don’t have a huge pregnant belly anymore…

My other issue is that I am HATING sleeping on the opposite side of the bed… and I’m feeling like the pack n play is just really bulky and in the way, but since our bed is so high I can’t use something like a rock n play or typical bassinet because it will be so low!

wandering_gypsy: Do you have a guest room you might want to consider moving into for the first few months. No offense- but without seeing what you are talking about, your bed sounds like a nightmare with a baby. Or the sofa– it might just be the most realistic option!

MrsEME: This is the current set up… but I am really not liking how bulky the pack-n-play is (or sleeping on the right side of the bed, I’ve always slept on the left side)… Don’t mind the unmade bed, I was washing the sheets…

I’m considering getting a co-sleeper instead (like an arms reach one) so it wouldn’t take up so much space and could be on my regular side… But I don’t know if I can justify spending the money when it might not work anyway AND baby will only be sleeping in our room for a few months.

We do have a guest room, but it’s smaller than our room so the pack-n-play wouldn’t fit and would be way too tall for the bed, we could then use a rock-n-play or something, but we will be having guests stay with us at first and my husband and I can’t sleep together in a queen size bed anymore (I know, we’re spoiled), and we don’t have a couch that could be slept in, we have a tiny living room and only have a love seat and two chairs.

For the record I can get in and out of our bed without the step stool, it’s just easier to use it than not. And I am concerned if I were to have a c-section that I wouldn’t be able to get in and out of bed easily… But I could always have my husband take the box springs out (again) so the bed is lower, the bed just shakes a lot more which might still not be comfortable.